Purple Apples
by RayWritesThings
Summary: The Doctor and Donna get caught out in the rain on an alien planet.


**Hello, readers. I've decided to start cross-posting some of my fics from AO3 and tumblr over to FFN, so if you recognize this story most likely you've read it on either of my accounts there (Ray_Writes and raywritesthings, respectively). If you haven't read it before, I hope you enjoy!**

**-RayWritesThings**

**Purple Apples**

They'd chanced it on the way back to the TARDIS, the clouds puce but not entirely plum the way they apparently got during the storms on this planet. Only now that it was too late to turn back, of course, did the thunder begin to rumble.

"Brilliant," Donna remarked, holding out her palm and feeling the splash of the first raindrops. They trailed, just a tinge of purple to them, down her fingertips. "You'd think in all of time and space I could avoid the London weather."

"Nah, it's not so bad." The Doctor countered, ever trying to salvage one of his trips gone wrong. This one hadn't been so bad. Least not before they were about to be rained on. But then she noticed him rummaging around in one of his coat pockets. With a flourish, he withdrew a long, black umbrella. "There we go!"

"Oh good, you actually carry something useful in there." Spaceman didn't answer her, instead choosing to busy himself with putting the umbrella up. "Haven't you got two?"

"No, we'll have to share," he said, motioning her under.

Donna eyed the close quarters.

A boom of thunder sounded not far off.

"Yeah, alright," she muttered to herself. It was just an umbrella being shared between mates, happened all the time. It wasn't too far from the TARDIS now anyway.

The Doctor smiled down at her as she stepped into his space, then started down the path again.

"Not so quick, skinny legs," she warned, reaching out to grab at his wrist before his long strides could leave her without cover. "Hold on, is that handle shaped like a question mark?"

He spent a good minute scrutinizing it. "Yeah, suppose. Why?"

Donna rolled her eyes. No doubt he'd picked it up somewhere because he thought it was clever.

The rain was really starting to fall now, not the drizzle from before. She pulled her arms in close, hoping that making herself small – at least as small as she could manage – would minimize the amount of her sticking out the side.

Spaceman glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She flashed him a quick smile to signal she was fine. Not like she was going to melt if one of her arms ended up drenched. He was already switching hands on the umbrella handle, though, and before she could ask was winding his now free arm around her waist.

Donna's heart stuttered in her chest. "Oi!"

"I know, I know." His hand remained at an appropriate height, yet was still managing to do inappropriate things to Donna's train of thought. He wasn't even her type!

It was embarrassing. She wasn't some teenager, and she'd stopped looking for romance long ago. A decent husband with a steady income was all she could even hope for at this point in her life, she knew. And she'd agreed at the start of this whole adventure, just mates. That alone was more than enough for her, but…it was as if the lack of certain _expectations_ on his part made everything he did for her all the sweeter.

And Donna was going to ruin it if she let it get to her. So she willed herself to relax into the Doctor's side and not think about it too much.

The path was gravel, fortunately saving her shoes from getting muddy, and making their journey a bit easier. She could see the TARDIS up ahead already. Against the rain, the light on top seemed to stand out all the brighter. She could envision a warm bath, a cozy night spent in the library with a book and some tea, her head resting against Spaceman's shoulder or maybe her feet in his lap instead.

God, she really was in too deep. How far was he planning on letting her fall before he caught on?

The Doctor ushered Donna in the police box doors ahead of him, then stepped inside himself, hanging the umbrella on one of the railings.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," he chanted, grabbing hold of her arm and tugging her to a stop before she could continue up the ramp. "You have to try it, just for a moment."

"Try what?"

"The rain," he answered like it was the simplest thing in the world. "Just stick your head out the door, mouth open."

"What? Like a kid?" When he just continued to stand there, Donna demanded, "What was all that business with the umbrella if we were gonna end up poking our heads out in the middle of it anyway?"

"Well there's no sense getting ourselves _soaked_. Just a taste, that's all we want." He inclined his head once more toward the open doorway, grinning. "Come on, Donna."

She shook her head, but found her resolve crumbling. Donna shuffled forward right to the edge of the doors, looked at the Doctor once more, then leaned out into the rain just as her did.

Rain splattered her forehead, her cheeks and nose, and most certainly landed on her tongue.

Donna's eyes flew open in shock. "It tastes like apples!"

"Yeah!"

"That doesn't make any sense!" She laughed.

He reached out and pushed her bangs dripping with rainwater out of her eyes, his own twinkling like stars. Dazzling. "Does it have to?"

No. None of it ever made sense. Not one day of this.

And she loved it.

Donna gripped the Doctor's forearms and rose up on her toes before she could think to stop herself, her lips connecting in a kiss predestined to be wet even without the open mouths. His hands slipped to cup her face, bringing her with him as he staggered backwards into the doorframe. It was the _bump_ as his back hit that jolted them both apart at the lips.

They stared at each other, chests heaving, neither making a move to let go. A water droplet slid down her nose and the Doctor brushed it away with his thumb.

"I always kiss you when you taste like food," she blurted, breathless.

"Yeah," he agreed, just as soft. "Purple apples. Better than the anchovies?"

He was gauging her interest, Donna realized. Maybe there'd never been an expectation at all, but there'd been a _hope_.

She tilted her head to the side, playing at coy. "Wanna know how much?"

He was already bending down to meet her halfway. How was that for wiles, Spaceman?


End file.
